Hardinge Street Road Reconstruction Project

In a major milestone for the delivery of the Hardinge Street upgrade in Deniliquin, Edward River Council has released a tender for Stage 1 of civil works for the section of Hardinge Street between Harfleur and Wood Streets.

Tender C2024/33 – Hardinge Street Reconstruction – Civil Works (Harfleur Street to Wood Street) covers drainage, new kerb and gutter, footpaths and driveway upgrades, landscaping, signage and line marking along this key section of the Cobb Highway through Deniliquin.

Edward River Council Mayor, Cr Ashley Hall, said calling for tenders is a major milestone in delivering long‑planned safety and access improvements for the town’s busiest precinct.

“This is the step that gets boots on the ground for the main civil works,” Cr Hall said. “By progressing Stage 1 we’re getting on with safer turning movements, better drainage, upgraded footpaths and driveways, and the foundations for a smoother, more efficient road through our commercial heart.”

“The community has told us how important Hardinge Street is for daily life and local business. We’re pleased to see this milestone reached and we thank everyone for their patience as we move into construction.”

The tender covers the first stage of civil works along the section of road between Harfleur and Wood Street and follows the installation of a new water main in that area. The second stage will be tendered later in 2026 once water main works are also completed between Wood Street and Ochtertyre Streets.

What’s included in Stage 1 (Harfleur Street to Wood Street)

• New stormwater drainage
• New kerb and gutter
• Where needed, some footpaths and property driveways will be upgraded
• Landscaping and streetscape improvements
• New road signage and line marking, where applicable

Procurement and delivery timeline

• Tenders close: 4.00 pm, Tuesday 25 November 2025 (AEDT)
• Contract awarded (target): 9 December 2025
• On‑site start (proposed): 2 February 2026
• Practical completion (proposed): 25 May 2026

About the Hardinge Street upgrade

The Hardinge Street Road Reconstruction Project is a staged upgrade of approximately 936 metres of Hardinge Street (Cobb Highway) to improve safety, access and amenity for residents, businesses and all road users. Works include a renewed road pavement, concrete median and channelised turning lanes, upgraded drainage, new kerb and gutter, new footpaths and landscaping.

Stage 1 of the project covers the section of road between Harfleur and Wood Street. Stage 2 is the section between Wood Street and Ochtertyre Streets, which will be tendered later in 2026.

Edward River Council is inviting residents and business owners to a drop in session on Wednesday 23 July - 4pm to 6pm at the Library to find out the latest on the Hardinge Street project.

Project staff will be on hand to show the latest plans and answer questions about specific aspects of the road upgrade and the changes it will bring, such as to traffic flow and parking.

The informal session is open to everyone to drop in at any time between 4pm and 6pm.

Edward River Council and Transport for NSW are upgrading Hardinge Street, between Ochtertyre and Harfleur Streets, to make it better and safer for all road users.

What we’re doing

• New concrete median strips and turning lanes will be added to improve road safety.
• The road will be completely resurfaced with new paving.
• New kerbing and guttering will be installed.
• New marked parking bays will be established in safe places on the road.
• Pedestrian crossings will be introduced for safer foot traffic.
• A new stormwater drainage system will be put in place.
• We are installing a new larger water main.
• Landscaping with greenery will be added to improve the street’s appearance.

Why it is needed

• Hardinge Street needs upgrades to make it safer for everyone.
• The 1km section of road from Ochtertyre to Harfleur Street is a busy commercial area with around 6,000 vehicle movements each day.
• The lack of turning lanes has contributed to rear end crashes.
• There are few footpaths and a lack of pedestrian crossing places.
• It is prone to flooding and has a lot of potholes and degraded pavement.
• New traffic flows in and around Coles will make shopping and freight delivery safer and more efficient.
• A new larger water main will improve our existing water distribution system and new drainage system will stop the water pooling on the roadside.

How it affects you

• The way you access Coles and Deni Plaza will change due to the new median strip.
• Residents may no longer be able to turn right into Hardinge Street due to the median strip.
• New designated parking bays for vehicles are being established in safe areas along the street.
• Some of the places you used to park on the street may not be available in future.
• Some driveways may be temporarily affected during construction but will be fixed up and improved afterwards.
• During construction, you may need to drive a different way to enter businesses, and traffic might be delayed slightly with traffic control measures.

When we are working

• All work will be carried out during normal work hours (Monday to Friday 7am - 6pm, Saturday 8am - 1pm).
• Water shutdowns will be timed to have as little impact as possible, and is planned to occur between 9am and 3pm.
• You will be notified of timing by letter before this happens.
• If road paving works need to be done at night, we will advise nearby residents.

On the roadside

• We will be working along the sides of the roadway, near driveways and on the nature strips.
• Pedestrian access might be affected at times.
• Traffic to businesses will be re-routed and flow may be affected. We will provide the community with more information about expected changes to traffic conditions.
• Please drive safely when in the area and be mindful of crews working on and near the road.

Driveway access

Driveways to homes and businesses will remain open and vehicle movements will not be affected.

Street parking

• Parking on your own property or in business carparks will not be affected.
• Some other parking on Hardinge Street will not be available during the construction work due to the need to maintain safe areas around the work site.
• After the project is complete, some of the places you used to park on the street may not be available.
• Designated parking bays for vehicles are being established in safe areas along the street.

Construction traffic

You might see more truck movements for the delivery of equipment and machinery like underground boring machines, small excavators, concrete trucks and road pavers. A traffic controller will be present to safely manage traffic and pedestrians in the area where needed.

Noise and vibration

There will be some noise and minor vibrations associated with the underground boring and construction of the new water main, as well as road paving. We will take steps to reduce this as much as we can.

Trees and nature strips

• All existing trees are being retained, and there will be some new trees and shrubs planted.
• Nature strips will have disturbed soil backfilled so it is as near to pre-construction condition as possible.
• Further landscaping will be completed after the new kerb and gutter and road paving are complete.

Dust and soil

• Dust might be created at times. We will use water trucks to minimise this impact and cover loads when being transported.
• Excess soil from boring and trenching that cannot be reused will be transported for storage at a suitable location nearby. It will be reused appropriately at a later date.

We will need to shut off water supply for a period of up to 4 hours (during the day) when we connect the new water main. We will notify you by letterbox drop before that happens. If you have special needs for water at home during the 4-hour shutdown (e.g. for dialysis or other conditions) please phone Customer Service on 5898 3000.

Here is a guide to help you prepare for an upcoming interruption to your water supply.

BEFORE THE SHUTDOWN

• Store enough drinking water in your refrigerator.
• Fill your kettle for use during the day.
• Store enough water in containers for cooking.
• Fill several buckets of water to flush the toilet.
• Fill pet drinking containers.
• Extinguish any fire in your solid fuel hot water system if you have one.
• Switch off any irrigation systems and air conditioners.
• Turn taps off, so you don’t get a surprise when the water is restored!

AFTER THE SHUTDOWN
When your water is restored, you may notice a slight change in the colour of the water. This is temporary and we recommend you run an outside tap until the water runs clear. We also recommend you don't use your hot water taps until the water has cleared.

ADVICE FOR BUSINESSES

• Don't run appliances that use water during a shutdown
• Appliances that typically need water to run include evaporative air conditioners, dishwashers and washing machines.
• If you have an electric hot water system, we also recommend you turn off its power supply.
• For businesses that rely on machinery needing water to operate, we advise that you turn them off during a water supply interruption.
• If you have a backup water tank, you may be able to use this to run your appliances. Be sure to check the capacity of your water tank and whether it’ll meet your water supply needs for the period of the outage.
• If you require a backup water supply, please contact us on 5898 3000.